StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Hello All, It's recently been my good fortune to acquire what must be a fairly unique collection of paperwork, photos. diaries, flying log books and plenty more to one mans life during the Great War. Because of the some of the detail may be of interest various types of collectors and researchers I thought I'd post it up here. There is a lot in here, so please bear with me and I'll try and post snippets up as I get an opprtunity. I'll start with the photos, and then hopefully the diary entries as I go through them. Brief summary of his service as I have gleaned so far: Name: Hubert Everitt Ranson No: 1806 Rank: Private Regiment: "G" Company 14th (Co. of London) Battalion the London Regiment - The London Scottish Date of Attestation: March 1913 Age: 19 Left for France: 15 Sep 1914 Discharged: 05 Apr 1915 due to gaining commission into 18th Service Battalion Durham Light Infantry Commissioned 2nd Lt: 06 Apr 1915 Commissioned Lt: 01 July 1917 1st entry into Royal Flying Corps Log book: 13 Feb 1917 Last Entry in log book: 03 Oct 1922 Killed: Flying training accident 09 Oct 1922 Shotwick Airfield (which I think is now RAF Sealand near Chester) All the paperwork etc was contained in this leather bound metal travelling chest. It even still has the keys! Wounded: 27 June 1916 (approximate date) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Sorry the wounded text got a bit misplaced! The metal chest: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Inside the metal chest. Note the black cat motif stencilled on the safe. The actual wooden cat stencil was inside, along with what my missus thinks is a worry doll (more later). Seems Mr Ranson was a superstitious man, which I suppose was no suprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Inside the drop down writing shelf, showing the letter compartments. A nice chest in it's own right and weighs a ton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 The next few lots are taken from a photo album. The photos seem to be in no particular order and show some of Mr Ranson in civilian clothes and even as a boy, right up to his funeral and I presume his grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 I think the photo on the left may be a relative, even his father. Can any London Scottish expert help if there was a Ranson serving as an Office? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Stevie. What a wonderful box! How did you come by such an impressive item? Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Thanks Neil, It was offered to me by someone who knew I collected RFC related items. He got it direct from the family many years ago, up here in the North of England. Presumeably, though originally from the London area, some of his family stayed settled near Liverpool. It appears from a first look through the papers that Mr Ranson did marry. Plenty more to see yet! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 The top left photo shows a very young looking Ranson second from left, and who I think is his father in the photo below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 30 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2006 The first RFC connected photo. He served out in the Middle East. How does this list read as an A to Z of RFC/RAF aircraft. The dates that he first flew them are given (taken from his second log book): Maurice Farman Ismailia Egypt Feb 1917 Avro Abu-Kir Egypt Apr 1917 Bristol Scout Abu-Kir Egypt Apr 1917 BE 2E Abu-Kir Egypt May 1917 BE 2C Abu-Kir Egypt May 1917 Martinsyde Abu-Kir Egypt Sep 1917 Vickers Bullet Hadji Janas Macedonia Dec 1917 Se 5A Hadji Janas Macedonia Feb 1918 Bristol Monoplane Hadji Janas Macedonia Feb 1918 Sopwith Camel Kirec Macedonia May 1918 BE 12 Mikra Bay Salonika May 1918 Armstrong Whitworth Mikra Bay Salonika Jun 1918 RE 8 Abu-Kir Egypt Aug 1918 Bristol Fighter Abu-Kir Egypt Aug 1918 DH9 Abu-Kir Egypt Aug 1918 Sopwith Pup Abu-Kir Egypt Nov 1918 Nieuport Abu-Kir Egypt Jan 1919 Handley Page Lahore India April 1919 Sopwith Snipe Lahore India June 1920 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Hubert Everitt Ranson's birth was registered in the Jan-Feb-Mar quarter of 1894. His family were living at 12 Southwood Road, Toxteth Park Liverpool at the time of the 1901 Census. Kate Ranson 38 (Widow, b. Stowmarket, Suffolk ) George H Ranson 14 (Son, Insurance clerk, b. Stowmarket, Suffolk) Mildred A Ranson 12 (Daughter, b. Stowmarket, Suffolk) Gerald N Ranson 9 (Son, b. Stowmarket, Suffolk) Hubert E Ranson 7 (Son, b. Stowmarket, Suffolk) James M Ranson 1 (Son, b. Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk) Edmund Freyser 41 (Visitor, India Rubber Merchant Clerk) (Plus 2 servants) The 1891 Census records his father as George Arthur Ranson, a brewer. The family were living at 2 Surbiton Villas, Ipswich Road, Stowmarket. George Ranson was a brewer. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Stevie wonderful stuff! The picture of the two officer, one of whom you think might be Ranson pere - the chap on the right looks like Colonel G A Malcolm, CO at Messines, and the other might (stress might) be J H Lindsay, who took over later. Can you close-up on them. I suspect Ranson pere wasn't a Cockney Jock. The photo, bottom right of the last lot looks like one of the photos taken after Messines. Could I suggest you contact RHQ at 95 Horseferry Road, SW1? Tomorrow is the Anniversary of Messines - what a coincidence. Treasure it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 As for brothers: There is a Gerald N Ranson, a Gunner in the RGA (T.F.) Medal card of Ranson, Gerald N Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Garrison Artillery 7727 Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery 296602 Gunner His numbers correspond to those issued to the 139th Hampstead Heavy Battery, R.G.A. (Gerald Newton Ranson was born in 1891, and registered at Stow) There are two George Harry Ransons: Medal card of Ranson, George Harry Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Engineers Captain Medal card of Ranson, George Harry Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Field Artillery 208513 Gunner (George Harry Ranson was born in 1886 and registered at Stow, Suffolk) Of course, it's not guaranteed that either served abroad, or were even in the Army. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 Stevie, Thanks for posting these, great stuff. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 30 October , 2006 Share Posted 30 October , 2006 What luck to be given a gift like this! Could it be a rival to Egbert's trunk? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Morton Posted 31 October , 2006 Share Posted 31 October , 2006 That is simply marvelous!! What a find! A good writer could probably work his way thru the box, letters, photos, etc. and put together not a memoir, but somethin akin to one. Fascinating! Museum curators would froth at the mouth! All the best, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 Next page of photos. I'll try and zoom in on certain photos at peoples request a bit later. I'll attempt to post all the images I have first. Thanks for the snippets of info about his family. Interesting to see that he hailed from Bury St Edmunds, and his father was a brewer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 More RFC related photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 A very young H E Ranson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 Not quite Blackpool beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 A superb photo of Mr Ranson next to the Sphinx wearing his wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 India perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 Private Ranson - London Scottish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted 31 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2006 Some nice aircraft shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 31 October , 2006 Share Posted 31 October , 2006 Steve - this excellent collection seems to have gone to a good home. Thank god for that. Yours with envy! Jon S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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